Hi, I'm a designer. I use Dreamweaver and Flash to build websites, and have a basic grasp of HTML. After doing this for a few years, I'm ready to dive into dynamic pages [I know, it's about time...]

My questions are: I thought it might be best to start learning ASP. But after looking into ASP, it seems that I maybe should first learn JavaScript because ASP works with Javascript [or VB], right? But since I want to also learn more about Flash actionscript, I think JavaScript would be the better choice for me. Would this be the correct choice? Start by learning JavaScript?

THEN learn ASP. THEN [or at the same time] acquire a better understanding of how databases work?

Any thoughts on how I might best proceed would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

ASP can use either JSP which is a language based on Java (I think... don't know a great deal about it) or VBScript (Scripting language based on VB). (JSP shouldn't be confused with JavaScript which is a different language and works on the client side, not the server.)

If you're wanting to learn a server side language, I'd highly reccomend ASP.NET - it's the latest version of ASP, it's a lot more structured than ASP, and it uses proper compiled languges instead of embedded scripts. If you want to write ASP.NET you have a wide choice of languages - Visual Basic, C# (C-Sharp - based on C), Java, COBOL, Perl, etc. The main two (and the two you'll find the most help and examples on) are Visual Basic and C#. I use Visual Basic myself.

It is possible to use ASP/ASP.NET without any database interactivity, however if you do decide to create a site with a database back end, I would reccomend getting some knowledge in databases before you start to try to write code for them. However you will find the majority of things you want to do may require a database of some sort, so you might want to make that a priority. It doesn't really take that long...

As for JavaScript, well I'm not too sure if you need to learn it... (there's loads of sample scripts you can download, and once you get a basic understanding of programming, they're genrally not hard to modify.) I'm not sure about ActionScript - never used it before. Perhaps someone else could field that?

If you decide to learn ASP.NET, www.asp.net is probably one of the most valuable resources you'll come across. (as well as here!) Also download the .NET SDK from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en)

Good luck!

- Mina

Ok, maybe this gets a little confusing at times...This is a quote from a Microsoft Engineer that I found on msdn.microsoft.com: With ASP files, you can activate your Web site using any combination of HTML, scripting—such as JavaScript or Visual Basic® Scripting Edition (VBScript)—and components written in any language.

I know there's a difference between JavaScript and Java, then there's JScript, JSP and who knows what else.

I basically need to learn to build websites that my clients can update themselves with text and pictures. Then I may need to create a shopping cart once in awhile, that sort of thing, nothing terribly complex.

Well, what you mentioned is about as complex as it gets (in the mainstream...)

I'm not too sure what that engineer is on about... it's a bit confusing.

Basically for what you want to do, I'd still go with ASP.NET. You probably won't need to be doing a huge ammount of client side interactiveness so you won't need to concentrate on things like JavaScript.

Take a look at the ASP.NET Commerce sample on www.asp.net for an idea of how to build a shopping cart. It's a really simple idea that you build anything onto. I found it incredibly usefull when learning, my site is based on it's concepts, but as I learnt, I made it far far far more advanced...

I already own quite a bit of code done in ASP. If I can learn how it works, I can apply it to new websites, and not have to pay to have the code written all over again. That's the main reason I need to learn ASP.

Are there really that many advantages to ASP.NET?

Is it true that ASP.NET is something that I have to BUY?

Thanks

No, you don't have to buy it. You just need the .NET Framework installed on your server which is a free non-critical update from Microsoft.

Here's a few advantages of ASP.NET:
http://www.brillianceweb.com/betterw...n/tips_52.aspx

Ok, hey, thanks a lot for all your feedback. It's been very helpful.

Ok, I know I sort of asked this question already, but I need to clarify it again: Do I first need to learn a language like VB or JavaScript BEFORE I start learning ASP or ASP.NET?

Thanks

Well yeah. You can't write ASP.NET applications without knowing a .NET language! Take a look at the tutorials on www.asp.net to get an idea. (http://www.asp.net/tutorials/quickstart.aspx)

If you choose ASP, your choices are VBScript (most widely used) or JScript. But there's not a lot of point learning ASP, you might as well go into ASP.NET seeing as it's the latest version.

If you choose ASP.NET your choices are Visual Basic, C#, and a whole load of others. Visual Basic and C# are by far the most widely used (and if you get the .NET SDK, you'll find the examples are in VB and C#.)

You only need to learn JavaScript if you want to do lots of client side scripting. (On a side note, ASP.NET actually writes JavaScrip for you in some cases - for example when you use Validation controls to validate form input, ASP.NET writes JavaScript to do the validation on the client side as well as on the server. Makes for a more user friendly apperance.)